The invention relates to a user interface for a machine for extracorporeal blood treatment, as well as to a machine for extracorporeal blood treatment comprising the user interface.
Specifically, though not exclusively, the invention is usefully applied in the field of dialysis machines, such as for example machines for intensive treatment for acute renal failure.
In particular the invention relates to a user interface according to the preamble of the first claim.
Document WO 98/35747 teaches a dialysis machine, suitable for carrying out periodical dialysis treatments—including domestic treatment—which is provided with a user interface such as the one described in the preamble of the first claim, in which the user interface has a programmed controller that displays various layouts on a touch-screen monitor, in at least one of which layouts (FIG. 5) the screen is sub-divided into various areas. A first of these areas exhibits touch keys, each of which is associated to a parameter relating to the dialysis treatment; while in a second of the areas, following activation of any one of the touch keys in the first area, two further touch keys are displayed, each in the form of an arrow, through which the parameter selected by the first touch key (in the first area) can be modified (up or down).
In the second screen area at first a further touch key is displayed, dedicated in particular to the change of the drip chamber level in the extracorporeal circuit. Selection of this further touch key brings up an illustration of the drip chamber on-screen, and the user can indicate on the illustration the level present in the chamber at the time.
The touch screen further comprises other touch keys having various functions, such as for example, one key for returning to the previous display, another for viewing other data, another still for signalling problems, and so on.
The touch screen further comprises at least one other display (FIG. 4) with various touch keys; by activating this screen other user-processor dialog windows are opened.
User interfaces in dialysis machines generally have the function of setting up a dialog between the processor of the machine and the user or operator using the machine, for example in order to regulate machine operation or for setting desired treatment parameters, such as, for example, blood pump flow rate, the flow rate and temperature of the dialysis fluid, treatment times, and so on.
One of the aspects of user interfaces in known-type dialysis machines (for example WO 98/35747) which is liable to improvement is that relating to interaction between the user or operator and the machine during preparation procedures prior to the actual treatment.
Normally these readying procedures comprise at least the mounting of the disposable set onto the machine. The disposable set usually comprises at least the extracorporeal blood circuit, destined in use to be connected up to a vascular access of the patient about to undergo treatment, and the blood treatment unit, generally comprising a filtration unit (for example a dialyzer).
Treatment preparation procedures usually further comprise at least one priming stage for the circuit and the blood treatment unit, as well as a connection stage of the extracorporeal circuit to the vascular access of the patient.
These preparation procedures can be very long, complicated and laborious, especially with intensive therapy dialysis machines, where the machine operator is often not specialised in the use of these apparatus, and where the time factor is critical as the patient is often in quite a serious condition and needs as fast an intervention as possible.